Drake Curse pending? Vinicius Jr gifts his Real Madrid shirt to 'Number 1' hip-hop sensation

The South American Blancos winger is a big fan of the hip-hop sensation, billing him as the “Number 1” in his chosen field and suggesting that he can be considered the GOAT. Said admiration appears to be mutual, with Drake happy to take ownership of a No.7 jersey that will be worn by Vinicius – who scored the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League final – when he returns to competitive action in 2023-24.

While Vinicius has a smile on his face, the same cannot be said for Real supporters. Drake has famously “cursed” a number of famous faces from the world of football in the past – with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang suffering professional setbacks on the back of meetings with the ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ star. Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have also been struck by that curse, along with leading NBA sides and Jake Paul – who Drake bet £350,000 to beat Tommy Fury in their exhibition boxing match.

Vinicius has offered enough to the Real cause in recent seasons to suggest that he should be immune to the ‘Drake Curse’, with the 23-year-old registering 55 goals for the Blancos across the last two campaigns to establish a reputation as one of the most exciting talents in world football.